Nanotubes and the process for their production is known according to the current state-of-the-art. The nanotubes are needle-shaped tubes with a length of 1,000 .ANG., for example, and a diameter of a few 100 .ANG.. Nanotubes are separated or separable and do not all point in one specific direction. Known are also sclerogenous structures, which are created by a network of tubes. The tubes of such a sponge-like structure have an inside diameter that is growth-limited to be not larger than 80 .ANG..
The currently known nanotubes and also the above-mentioned sclerogenous structures consist mainly of carbon and are produced by arcing. Reference is made to this in JP-A-071 65 406, JP-A-071 97 325 and in scientific discussions published in NATURE, volume 358, pages 220 through 222 and volume 363, pages 603 through 605. Known are also nanotubes made of gold or titanium oxide, as it can be seen in a publication of Langmuir, volume 12, number 6, 1996, pages 1411 through 1413.
Single nanotubes may be used, for example, to catch individual molecules. Nanotubes may be handled individually or they may be pasted on for microscopic examinations. However, carbon nanotubes have specifically the disadvantage that they are unstable relative to oxidizing effects.